


Stage Fright

by stars_are_eternal



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Gen, Holding a Speech, speech, stage fright
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:34:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27860857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stars_are_eternal/pseuds/stars_are_eternal
Summary: Tani is asked to hold a speech at the graduation ceremony of the Honolulu Police Academy class of 2023.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Stage Fright

There were a few things Tani never expected she’d have to do, and holding a speech was one of them. She was never good at speaking in front of large crowds, she’d always get too nervous and started stuttering, so when Duke asked her if she, as a part of Five-0, could hold a speech during the graduation ceremony of new police officers of the Academy from class 2022/2023, she agreed, but instantly felt nervous as well. Should she prepare, write it all down and learn it by heart? But what if she would forget a part and freeze, or start stuttering? The whole ceremony would end up being a disaster. Hell, she didn’t even know what to talk about to begin with, with the exception of Duke telling her to maybe try and incorporate bits of how she felt as a police officer out on the field for good two years now, going three. 

By the time of the graduation ceremony, Tani had a plan in her head, just a rough outline of what she could but maybe wouldn’t include, and after Duke’s introduction to the opening of the graduation ceremony and the speech from the representative of the generation, she was announced as a special guest. Tani had an uneasy feeling in her stomach as she stood up and walked up on the small podium and in front of the lectern, the back door opening at that moment to let in a group of people, but she paid no attention to that. There were really a lot of people there, not just the graduates but the families as well. She took a deep breath and just started, deciding it was just the best to wing it and see where it would take her.

"People sometimes ask me: 'Why did you get into law enforcement? Why risk your life on a daily basis when there's so much ahead of you? Why choose being a police officer when you could be something else?'. They're not wrong! Risking your life when this young sounds so wrong, reckless, even dumb. I could have been anything I wanted to be when I was a little girl. I could have been a professional surfer by this time, a professional swimmer or diver. At this point, I could have had a small and nice pastry shop by the beach and be a pastry chef who'd sell malasadas that could easily compete with Leonard's Bakery. I chose to become a police officer instead.”

The crowd gave a soft laugh at the pastry shop part, giving her a bit more confidence to continue.

“Being a police officer isn't just wearing a uniform you think gives you much more power than it actually does, or having a gun attached to your belt and thinking you're invincible. It's not about the thrill when you occasionally get to chase down a person who's running away only to find out he stole something as benign as a bag of potato chips from the local store, or the fear you feel when you're face to face with a bank robber who holds a hostage at gun point, and it's not about sitting in the patrol car, drinking coffee or eating a donut and watching the day go by, waiting for your shift to end so you can go home and do other things you have planned. Being a police officer means representing somebody people can rely on, somebody they can call when they're in trouble, knowing you'll have their back and help them. Even if it's a small thing like helping an old lady cross the street or carry her bags for her to her house that's a few blocks away or regulating the traffic when the traffic lights are down. I get that you all want to see action, and eventually, you will! But first, focus on the small things around you. The old lady you helped across the street or with her groceries will maybe give you a cookie she baked that morning, and thousands of people will be thankful that you stepped up and solved the traffic jam, because thanks to you, they won't be late to work or where ever else they are going.”

Tani took a small pause, a small breath, then continued. “I know what you're thinking: I'm the one to talk, right? I'm with Five-0, I get to see all the action and do all the crazy stuff, chasing down murderers, drug dealers and traffickers, I go out there every day, risking my life with the rest of the team. People see us as some kind of superheroes, when we're far from that. We're devoted husbands and fathers, sisters, uncles and aunts, friends, and more importantly, we're all a big family. At the end of the day, we're just human. We come home tired from our job, usually full with emotions that accumulated that day, because our job is taxing. You witness a lot of things you sometimes don't wish to see, but it's all part of the job. We're far from the superheroes people think we are, and what people also usually don't know is that Five-0 is a just special unit of the HPD with a bit broader jurisdiction. We are no different from any other police officer or detective working at HPD, so don’t be clouded by words of us being something special. We’re not. We’re just like any of you in this room right now.”

Once again, Tani stopped for a little bit and gave herself time to relax before continuing. “Everything you went through and will go through, class of 2023, I did as well. I went through the Academy, I wore a uniform and I saw things from the perspective of a police officer, too. But why did I get into law enforcement? I did it because I wanted change. I did it because I wanted to be one of the ones that might make the difference between a falsely accused person going to jail or being free’d off charges. I wanted to be the one to make the difference and make sure that a criminal who’d walk away due to lack of evidence would be put behind bars because I managed to find something that puts him on the crime scene at the time when the crime happened. I wanted people to feel safe when I’m around. I wanted to be that small change in society, in my surroundings, because I knew back then that I could be that difference. I knew that if I tried hard enough, I could be somebody people would see and say: ‘I know her, she helped me the other day. You can rely on her’. That, class of 2023, is what I want you to be. I want you to be that change in your surroundings, I want you to be aspiring police officers standing confident and braving the difficulties of everyday life situations. I want you to be the ones people know they can rely on no matter the situation. Remember, you might not get to process crime scenes on your very first day at work, or chase after a murderer, but you will be there as the first line of defense between civilians and the shady side no matter the situation. You will have to make sacrifices. Keep your head in the game, listen to the mentors you’ll get, and make HPD proud as the new generation or prodigal police officers. Go out there, and make that difference. Be that difference.” 

She finished with a bright smile, with the entire room being silent but for a few moments before they all stood up, clapping loudly and cheering. Her eyes found Duke, who smiled at her and nodded, and he wasn’t alone there, either. The group that came in earlier was no other than the entire team, Danny even holding up the phone with Steve on the other line, having facetimed him to he would see it as well. Katsumoto, Thomas, Juliet and the rest were there as well. It looked like they were working on a case together, and judging by their tired looks, they rushed to get to the ceremony on time. Duke probably tipped them off, since Tani didn’t say where she would go past the fact that she had to do something that day. They all seemed to very much approve of what she said.

Maybe holding speeches wasn’t as bad as she thought they were, after all.


End file.
